1.6.2-Pilferingapples
Brick!club, Les Miserables, 1.6.2, How Jean May Become Champ Or Crimesolving Before Forensics Because seriously, what if the guy’s name had just been “Jean”? Is that enough for Evidence? HOW MANY JEANS ARE IN FRANCE, HOW MANY ARE JUST IN THIS BOOK, I bet Fauchelevant and Javert are ALSO named Jean EVERY GUY IS JEAN and they’re still considering that a point of evidence against this apple-pilferer AND YES HE IS OF MY KIND I gotta stick with this Champmathieu guy, but this is it, THIS IS MY JAVERT CHAPTER, without this chapter I just hate the guy forever but with it I…don’t like him, but I’m fascinated? His authority isn’t a power trip to him, it’s a sacred tool, and I don’t think he ever shows that more clearly. He’s so dead against things being Wrong, not even Evil, just Wrong, and he’s completely willing to immolate about that. It would be almost noble if it weren’t SO DUMB, because I mean there’s Madeleine telling him it’s all chill, he’s got a reprieve. And it strikes me that at this one point, at least, Javert’s got a lot more moral clarity than Valjeaneleine. Javert would never even consider letting another person take the blame for a crime he committed, or even a mistake; if he screws up then he screws up, and he punishes himself more than he would anyone in the same position. Since Valjeaneleine spends most of the next WHILE looking for exactly the sort of out Javert turns down repeatedly, I think it’s an interesting point of contrast— especially since it’s arguably the inability to accept that kind of grace that kills Javert, BUT GETTING AHEAD OF PLOT HERE. Right now, in this moment, Javert’s doing what the story and Valjean ultimately decide is The Right Thing- taking the blame for a mistake, not dodging the consequences even in the face of, you know, BEING LET OFF THE HOOK COMPLETELY. Gargyphile suggested him as a sort of doorkeeper force for Valjean, highlighting the right choice; he’s really working on that here and ANYWAY THIS IS THE CHAPTER WHERE I LIKE JAVERT, I’m sure I’ll get back to being confused at him soon. Side note— I like Javert’s fiddling with the sawdust, it reminds me of the snuff he takes when he’s satisfied. Whatever’s going on in his head here, I don’t think there’s any question of conflict. Next Chapter: Valjean is RATHER MORE CONFLICTED. Commentary Gascon-en-exile Yay for minor discussion of patois accents, not something one gets every day. I’ve no personal connection to Auvergne even among the extended relations, but this still interests me. I find it funny that not only do we get this modification of the title, but it’s followed by the (second?) mention of a convict named Chenildieu, a similar corruption of “''Je nie Dieu'',” “I deny God.” Two things confuse me about the story of Valjean Javert gives here - why are people saying he stole from the bishop when Myriel denied it before the police, and how did anyone find out about Petit Gervais when it was such an obscure incident and Javert is even wondering now if they’ll be able to find him for his testimony? Small plot holes, or a reflection of how stories can alter over time? I’ve not much to say about Javert’s character here - he goes out of his way to be painfully forthright and not at all paradoxical or hypocritical - but given my interests I had to mark that he’s called a “''mouchard vierge'',” a “virgin informer/detective.” While it could be referring to inexperience or the like, with Javert’s years of service I highly doubt it. In other words, I believe I was right about Javert being yet another of the Brick’s curiously large number of male virgins.